Even after leaving the Drive-by Truckers, Jason Isbell has continued to wow and amaze. Â His literary songs and rockin” guitar licks accentuate catchy and heartbreaking melodies. I saw Isbell and Shires a year ago in Hartford in an acoustic setting. It fit so perfectly in the at the Wadsworth Atheneum Art Gallery that I wasn”t […]
Mayer’s Picks: The Best of 2013, So Far (the Songs)
Elephant and Super 8, Jason Isbell (from the Southeastern Records release Southeastern) This list wouldn’t ordinarily include two tracks from the same artist but I’m gonna make an exception. These two tracks exemplify the range of Isbell’s songwriting talent, from the somber beauty of “Elephant” to the boisterous rock of “Super 8.” Alphabet City, Todd […]
Bakersfield – Review & Giveaway
Although we tend to think of the rebellion against the slick production values that Nashville country music is perhaps best known for as a fairly recent phenomena, it dates back over 50 years to a group of artists, and a Capitol Records producer, that called Bakersfield, California, home. Â The Bakersfield Sound eschewed the strings and […]
Mayer’s Picks: The Best of 2013, So Far (the Albums)
This has been a great musical year and we’ve still got several months — and some highly anticipated releases — to go before it ends. Here, in no particular order, are some of my favorite releases from the first half of 2013. You’ll see that I’ve listed my favorite Boston releases as a group. Each […]
Win Big: Signed Twangville Music Festival Poster
So, the Twangville posse is just about recovered from last month’s Twangville Music Festival, a weekend’s worth of fantastic performances from six incredible artists. We’re not done yet, however. We’re giving away a couple of limited edition Festival posters. Even better, the posters are signed by each of the musicians who performed at the Festival: […]
Twangville Music Fest – Night 2
After the more familiar performances from night one, I was all the more excited to see three new-to-me acts. And given the intimate Lizard Lounge in Cambridge, I knew I was in for an up close opportunity to see each of the performers. The three acts managed to feature distinct shades of Americana music today: […]
Twangville Music Fest! Night 1
A couple of weekends ago 7 of our 9 contributors from this little site we call Twangville met in Boston for the second showcase we’ve put together boasting the Twangville moniker. And when I say “we”ut it together, I’m really just saying “Mayer” put together. I volunteered to post a few words about Friday […]
Twangville Presents… Bill Janovitz
Any discussion of Bill Janovitz will undoubtedly start with his tenure as a member of Boston-based trio Buffalo Tom. Â For more than 25 years the group has released an incredible catalog filled with emotionally charged rock and roll. Â Songs like “Tailights Fade” and “Sunday Night,” to name just a few, have a raw intensity […]
Monday Morning Video: Twangville Festival Saturday Night Preview
Here’s a collection of videos featuring the artists who will be appearing a the Twangville Music Festival this Saturday night. The set includes both Sarah Borges and Stephen Kellogg performing at the legendary Sun Studios in Memphis. Stephen Kellogg — performing “Forgive You, Forgive Me” from the just released Blunderstone Rookery and “4th of July” […]
Photos that ROCK! Session Americana
Session Americana @ The Lizard Lounge, Cambridge MA Damn, these boys know how to throw a party! I’ve only seen Session Americana in action twice, but both times I was dancing and learning what to shout out to participate as an audience member (“Beertown! Doreen!”). Whether Dinty Child was standing on a chair, Ry Cavanagh […]